Friday, June 23, 2023

Happy Friday! It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika to share our favorites from the week.

The card we got Tom for Father’s Day was too perfect. Sunday he had to spend 3 hours fixing his car. We have also had our garage door opener motor break and that is on his agenda for this weekend. I am ready for our stuff to work! It feels like a long year of things breaking. When it rains, it pours!

My favorite is how handy Tom is. He really can fix so many things. He is very calm about the process, too, and just jumps in and does it. I felt like we put a spell on him by giving him this card and then him having more stuff to fix.

My kitchen is absolutely horrible so this is a hard picture to show. We are replacing all of our flooring on our main floor to the darker hardwood in our bedroom (we already have all the flooring in our garage) and painting the whole house next and then we will finally tackle the horrible kitchen. My kids are finally getting into cooking and it has been fun teaching them. They baked with me all the time when they were young, but cooking has been a different story. This was us making Sunday night’s dinner for Tom.

Monday morning was rainy and one of my favorite types of summer mornings. I took my stuff out to my covered patio and did my quiet time, my blog reading and blog writing there.

The rain kept up off and on all day and did change my plans for a pool day with Elizabeth who was off for Juneteenth. We pivoted and she came over for bougie grilled cheese and white wine. And, Erica was able to join us because something got cancelled. It was so fun and felt so summer and carefree! One of my goals was to have people over, so this was great!

Elizabeth brought her dog Banana. She didn’t bring her dog a banana; her dog is named Banana. She is so chill and just happy to be a lap dog.

We had French white wine because of the french fries and I guess because the grilled cheese was on brioche bread. I have found the best brioche for a fancy grilled cheese. It is in the Kroger deli and it is the perfect thickness. I made Caprese (tomato, mozz, balsamic, basil), traditional with Swiss and American, and one with green chili jam, turkey, and Swiss. We just mixed and matched.

We really liked this French white:

I bought iced coffee cups from Amazon and they came in this week. I love them!

Tuesday I ran in to our new J.Crew Factory store because it is next to Trader Joe’s.

They had some amazing clearance deals and I came home with a blouse and a pair of sandals.

We have also been on a Naan bread pizza kick. I have been making these for my kids when they are home.

The kids had a friend over Tuesday and I made bowtie alfredo for them and then our dinner that night was…

Pioneer Woman’s beef enchiladas:

Ok, I finally finished this. It was slow and melancholy but it did pick up about 3/4 of the way through and I did like the ending. I guess it was about how Book Lovers was, which I didn’t love. I did love the first Emily Henry book I read – Beach Read. I don’t know – maybe it’s me and not the book. Beach Read was probably my favorite book of the summer a couple of years ago.

Next up is a recommendation from Jennifer:

Most days I go to the gym and then have my coffee on the patio. I noticed that on Tuesday I took all 3 meals on the patio, too. Ah, summer. And, I feel like I have to soak up the wonderful weather we are having. Even though we had a lot of rain, it has been so mild out.

My car turned over to 111,111 miles recently. I love my car so much and hope it keeps on ticking.

Look what popped up on Facebook:

He must have been about 4 months old here. He was never tiny. He was the chubbiest of the litter and his full name is “Ernesto Gordo” which means “Fat Ernest”.

Wednesday I had my friend Beth over for breakfast on the patio.

Luckily, it only lightly rained so it was fine. I turned on the patio lights because it was a grey day.

We had an egg bake with a bunch of vegetables, everything potatoes, Trader Joe’s mini croissants, bacon, and…

a fruit cup.

For dinner Wednesday, I used my farmer’s market grape tomatoes -seriously the most tasty I have ever had! I have got to get more! I made a big salad but had no meat to go in it.

I wanted to try the KFC nuggets so I ran up and got some of those. They are really good, in my opinion. Have you tried them? They taste just like their fried chicken, but in nug form. That might have been a really dumb comment, but it won’t be the first time I have made one and it won’t be the last.

I got myself a free trial of HBO Max and started watching BamaRush and the Sex and the City reboot? Just found out that I am a year behind, but oh well!

On the longest day of the year I made sure to go outside and enjoy and look at the lightning bugs. I am from Indiana and we call them lightning bugs. I never said “firefly”.

I changed out to a blue pedi done by yours truly.

Thursday was hair day. I was kept busy answering Sp;anish questions from niece Mia who is taking an online summer school Spanish class. Love it!

And, my final favorite is going to blow your mind. I found this at Fresh Market. My friend Jasmine served this in champagne years ago and i have been meaning to copy it. It is hibiscus flowers in syrup.

OMG – it looks gorgeous and tastes amazing. The jar is about $8 but so worth it. I am already thinking of other cocktails I can create.

It’s been a quintessential summer week. I didn’t get to go to the pool, but I spent tons of time outside reading and enjoyed showing hospitality and cooking for people!

I also got my 4th Walmart Plus delivery this week – Tuesday was the day. I am loving it. It’s really working for me this month and I’m finding it so nice to already be at home, making space in the fridge and pantry, in anticipation of the new stock of groceries. Anyone else trying it?

This week I wrote about my weekend in Hello Monday here, my clothing purchases of the last three months here, my Summer List here, and my Fashion Files here. Remember that you only have to click on the red font to be taken to those posts. Also, please utilize my search bar if you are looking for something specific. That’s as technical as my blog gets!

Speaking of my Summer List, I was surprised by the comments that my list seemed like a lot or too optimistic. I think it seems simple and maybe that I am not doing enough! Isn’t that funny? I guess that is another reminder that we all have such different perspectives. One comment was just to stay in pjs and have a totally lazy day and I do agree I need to add that!

I hope you had a great week! Tell me a favorite of yours!

Amy

Thursday, June 22, 2023

It’s Thursday and you know what that means. Let’s look at my fashion or lack thereof, ok? I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill as usual.

Last Thursday I wore my newly chopped off tassel blouse with my ecru Aerie cut offs. I am glad I chopped those puppies off. Why? They were so long they came down to my waist. I got this top for under $20 on the clearance rack last summer at a local boutique called Tunie’s. I have been reaching for these Target slides like almost every time I leave the house to do something more than errands.

Friday, I wore my new jaguar blouse that I also got on clearance but this year at a local boutique called Nicole B’s at Norton Commons. Roar! I paired it with my old Old Navy light denim skirt and my MIA clog sandals to go meet my niece Brooke for lunch.

Ok, look at this. Yes, I am worried that I will show up in this Old Navy top and see a million other middle aged ladies wearing it, too. When I showed my brunette Heather this top I said, direct quote, “It looks just like that boutique brand THML that they sell at Tunie’s and other local boutiques”.

Old Navy version:

THML version:

This photo is stolen from Lucky Peacock Designs on Instagram. Isn’t that crazy? I actually like the ON version better because your girl likes a bit more sleeve to cover up the ol’ upper arm situation

By the way, you should follow Lucky Peacock. Even if you don’t buy her items in her weekly sales, she puts together great inspo. Here are some other THML things if you are interested.

Here is my farmer’s market ‘fit:

It’s nothing exciting and a longer top would be better, but I wanted to show you I am wearing my hot pink Aerie shorts, my knit Old Navy top that was online clearance back in February, I think, and my rubber faux Birkenstocks.

For the boat Sunday, I wore my hot pink Aerie tank suit under my Target white coverup. I think this is one of my favorite coverups of my collection. I usually get one new coverup each season and now I have quite the collection. Coverups are the goat for me.

I actually wore this outfit both Monday and Tuesday (for part of the day). I wore the biker shorts to the gym with the black tank and then threw the chambray button up (now I know the difference between button up and button down!) over it. Button up is without buttons holding the collar down and button down is with the buttons holding the collar down.

Here is a look I want to try:

I have both a cotton button up in black and a black silk button up. I need to try this before it turns hot around these parts.

Tuesday I went in J.Crew Factory because it is next to Trader Joe’s. I hadn’t been in since winter. Look what I found:

These slides were $13 and I needed black!

This blouse was only $12! I have been having green and pink moments this year and combining the two? Swoon!

Do you have a favorite outfit from the week?

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Thanks for listening to me whine on Monday in my Hello Monday post! I love summer and really have nothing to complain about. I love the slow mornings, sitting outside, and just everything that comes with this season of rest for me.

Monday was just glorious. It was lightly raining when I woke up. I went to the gym and then spent a couple of hours on my covered patio with a candle burning.

So, here is my list of goals for the summer or my summer bucket list. Some involve just me, some are for Tom and I, and some are involving the whole family.

Read!

Catch up on movies and tv

Go to the movies with the whole family – Seeing Asteroid City this weekend for a gift for Tom that he requested

3 pm coffee or iced coffee

Start a stretching routine

Move body each day/start a good exercise routine again

Try some new recipes

Celebrate Tom’s birthday

Celebrate Father’s Day

Take a wine walk with wine in my Stanley Cup. This will also serve as a weighted walk since the Stanley is so heavy – Ha!

Buy a bag of Chick Fil A ice to keep in freezer

Shop at Asian Market and see if I can try something new to me

Shop at Mexican market and see if I can try something new to me

Eat more fish/cook more fish/visit a local specialty fish market called Lori’s Fish Market

Go to farmers market

Go to adult pool – One of our pools has an 18 and over pool. It’s nothing inappropriate!

Go to Omni rooftop pool

Enjoy the boat with just Tom

Sunset on boat – we don’t often go out in the evening but everytime we do I wish we did it more

Invite different friends on the boat

Walk to breakfast with Tom – we have at least 3 breakfast places in walking distance.

Make strawberry freezer jam

Make pickles

Use up gift cards from students

Declutter and prepare a nice area for houseguests at the end of August

Go through my list of spaces and totally clean things out. I have already done my silverware holders. I need to do spices and things like that.

Try to play pickleball

Go to festivals and music events

Go hear live music

Have a picnic – maybe at the Sunday afternoon farmer’s market in the park nearby

Spend time in my hometown and hopefully match schedules up with all the busy teen nieces and nephews

Go to my hometown by boat

Celebrate our 23rd anniversary

Take a short overnight trip with Tom

Try new restaurants with Tom, friends, and our kids

Spend as much quality time as possible with my kids as this could be the last summer they live here – cue the tears

Go hiking

What have I forgotten? What is on your list?

Amy

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

I promised you an updated post about my purchases, so here we go. These are the summer clothing purchases I made for the last three months, believe it or not. My habit is to usually get exited about spring and summer clothes in February and stop buying winter clothes. I am just done with them at that point. I also enjoy spring and summer clothes so much more. I do love fall clothes, but my winter clothes are just about warmth and comfort, I guess.

I recorded my January purchases here. my February purchases here, and March here. I have shopped more than I originally planned this year, but I also think I have become a better shopper and I think I have done really well this year. There are several things that I returned and a couple of things I had to sell at my consignment shop, but that’s ok. I still did really well. In my purchases from January – March, I returned the black and white sweater and black pants from Target – they just weren’t perfect. I sold the Clarks sandals because they killed the sides of my feet, and I sold the white J.Crew bathing suit.

I wasn’t planning to shop at Old Navy, but here we are…

I bought this top in all three colors…

black:

blue:

and pink and orange:

I would say they run true to size or a little big depending on your chest/girls situation.

I have worn the pink and orange and the blue the most so far. I think I will wear the black and white in late summer and early fall. You can’t go wrong with black and white for work.

I also showed some restraint by only buying the pink and orange colorway of the dress version. I linked all of these items in Fashion Files last week. If you are interested, remember that you get a better deal online and I recommend ordering at least two different sizes and returning in person at your local store.

I would also say the dress runs a bit big or true to size.

I purchased three Walmart dresses. They run one to two sizes big.

This one:

This one:

And, my favorite is this one:

Again, I recommend ordering online in a couple of different sizes and returning in person at your local Walmart. Returns have gotten easier at Walmart I have noticed. You open your Walmart app or Walmart in your browser and they use your barcode to return. It has been easy peasy for me.

I think back in early April I placed my Aerie order for these cut offs,

these hot pink shorts,

and I couldn’t resist this tee:

I went in to World Market and brought this muu muu home:

and in to Hobby Lobby and brought these home:

And, I ordered these off of Target.com.

All of my Amazon Essentials simple flip flops:

And, finally a Pioneer Woman summer weight robe. It runs really small and I wish I had gone up another size, but it is really nice for the price.

I love that when I am ready to buy more summer clothes they will be on sale – if I buy anything. I don’t feel that I really need anything and truly there aren’t the days in the week to wear everything I have and love. I am working on this contentment thing!

Do you have any favorite purchases of mine? What have you been buying?

Amy

Monday, June 19, 2023

I am linking up today with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday. Do you have your cup of coffee ready? Or, maybe your cup of tea? And, who am I to judge if it’s a cup of bourbon, right? Settle in for my tale of this weekend and what I am calling a comedy of errors. It’s not that dramatic, but it felt that way at times. You are going to see lots of food pictures, by the way!

Let’s go back to last Thursday. I picked my mom up from her girls’ trip (her two college friends get together with her every few months) and took her home. She had a really good time but was also happy to be home. My aunt had sent quilts for us and we each got to pick the colors that we wanted. I chose this brightly colored one. I’m seeing picnics with mason jars. What do we think?

I made it home for dinner and the fam had tacos and I had a taco salad.

For Tom’s birthday, I had planned to make this Heath ice cream cake, but I didn’t manage it on time, so it was a bit late. We enjoyed some of this after our tacos. Now, Tom does not like Cool Whip, so this time I subbed vanilla bean ice cream and let me say it was a stellar choice. This cake is just as good as a DQ cake in my opinion. You only need ice cream sandwiches, ice cream, and Heath topping (sold next to the chocolate chips). Click on the red font for the full “recipe”.

Friday, I met my niece Brooke at Parlour and forgot to get a photo of her. She just graduated from nursing school and had a birthday so we were celebrating two things. Also, she starts her job in the pediatric ICU this week!

We shared their amazing breadsticks and each got a salad.

I got a tropical salad. Yum!

Their cute patio:

The area where we sat:

I went home and was so tired I took a bit of a nap. Then, later in the afternoon, Jack and I were going to go to Target and the library, but we were stuck. Our garage door opener (the machine in the ceiling) was broken. My car was stuck in the garage. It’s very hard to manually open it because it’s a double door and Tom has to unhook it or something. So, our plans were thwarted, and Jack wanted to learn to make chicken alfredo, so all turned out good.

I had this:

Everyone in the family had kind of a hodgepodge of leftovers and random things. I like doing that on a Friday night sometimes.

I was reading this but it was moving slowly…

Saturday morning, I went to the farmer’s market for the first time this season.

I got a breakfast sandwich for the first time ever and it was really good.

My haul:

I got popcorn, kettle corn, Benedictine cucumber spread, one tomato, curly kale, and grape tomatoes.

I went to Target and got these:

and a couple of other things. Then, I went to the library and found this on the new release shelf. I have it on my request list, but there were many, many people in front of me.

Now that I am 3/4 of the way through, I would say it doesn’t match its cover. It’s slow and melancholy and I don’t really like the main character. I loved Beach Read, didn’t like Book Lovers, and now this… disappointing. Anyone else?

I roasted some sweet potato (you saw this meal on Friday night and it was so good I wanted to make more, but include kale).

I roasted the kale, too.

I had a weird lunch of salad, kale, sweet potatoes, and Benedictine, cucumbers, and bacon on an open-faced sandwich.

It’s the summer of hot pink, I guess! Hot pink Aerie shorts with hot pink Happy (Sad) Place.

We didn’t do a whole lot because we were going to a baseball game Saturday night with Tom’s work. Tom received a message in the afternoon saying, “We have been made aware of many activities going on downtown, so the baseball game will no longer be a corporate event. You are welcome to use your tickets on your own”. So, at first, we were still going to go because we had the tickets that were paid for, but as the afternoon went on, we decided that the main reason we were going was to be with his colleagues and Tom heard they were not going. So, we got Mexican takeout and watched the Netflix Tour de France documentary. Even I enjoyed it!

Sunday morning, I made this spread for Tom and we were going to go on the boat around 11.

Tom started heading to the boat ramp (he always goes first to get everything ready) and the next thing I know he has returned with a pretty serious car issue. His car was just in the shop for a week and then last week he had to take it in again for something minor. Now, this? He made three trips to the car parts store, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and 3 hours later he had fixed it himself. I felt so bad for him, though. I know that is not what he wanted to be doing. Oh, and I should mention he fixed someone else’s car Saturday morning as a favor.

We rallied and still went out.

I made him a sandwich and I had a wrap:

Yes, he deserved this boat nap:

And, we ended the day with the kids and I making a salad for dinner and…

This looks very bad, but it was good – chicken with honey mustard and bacon and cheese with corn and roasted potatoes.

So, the weekend was just a comedy of errors, I decided. I was trapped in the garage Friday, my plans were cancelled (and I could have planned something else on Saturday and there were other things I wanted to do), and yesterday was not quite the plan we had either. Now, this is all very first world problem stuff. I am grateful and blessed and realize that these are not real problems.

I was venting to my sister Kate and we both decided we had too high of expectations for summer. I need to keep my expectations lower, I guess (and I am working on my summer list blog post). Is that the right way to live? Kate thinks that teachers have such an unbalanced lifestyle and try to squeeze in all the projects, appointments, and fun that we don’t have time for during the school year. Now, Tom would say that he and everyone else who isn’t a teacher doesn’t get summers off, but Tom also doesn’t understand what we are talking about because he has never been a teacher. He can take an hour or more for lunch and go to a doctor or dentist appointment during the workday. I don’t know. I also have never had a corporate job.

Do you have unrealistic expectations for summer? I sure am glad I have other teachers in my life so we can talk about this!

Amy

Friday, June 16, 2023

Now, in the summer I do not want Fridays to come quickly! Eeek! I’m ok. I’m ok. Really, I’m ok. I am linking up today with both Andrea and Erika to share some favorites that I encountered.

First up, is that my mom is doing really well and just took a little trip with her college friends. They only went to Lexington, Kentucky for two nights, but she had a big time! Isn’t that amazing?

My next favorite…

Thank you for your responses to my Walmart + post and my Literal Coffee talk post. If you missed them, click on the red font. I learn so much from you all! I did not know there was a Kroger Boost option. I did my fourth Walmart + delivery after that posted, by the way. And, I am super happy with the produce they pick. I only had one substitution and it was just a slightly different flavor of my multivitamin gummies. As for coffee, you all are my people! We love our coffee! I now have lots of coffee makers to research and keep on my list. I am really bad about spending money when something still works, you know? So, I don’t think it will be an immediate purchase. You all have also made me think it’s ok to have multiple coffee makers and just keep one or two in storage for when company comes or for when you want something different.

Continuing on with favorites from the week…

Summer reading is just the best. So far I have read The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella and this:

Sarah Adams is a relatively new author to me, but I really like everything I have read. This was cute – a little cheesy – but cute and a quick read for me.

I got my bootie back to the gym on Monday and it felt good.

These are really good! One is 3 WW points or 100 calories and just the right amount of sweet after a meal. A couple of bloggers recommended them and they are correct. The homemade ones are definitely better, but these are really good.

Sunday Tom and I did a Costco re-stock without going crazy. We got out of there for under $200 and got Tom’s protein shakes and just food items. These are the best chicken strips I have found. There is no degree of slimy-ness and you can put them in so many things. I have used them for my Greek bowls, my burrito bowls, on top of a salad, in a hot sub for my kids, and more!

I absolutely love these Amylu breakfast chicken sausages but I wouldn’t limit them to just breakfast.

I decided to buy the giant pre-cooked bacon package and it is really good. You still have to heat it in the air fryer or microwave but it saves most of the bacon mess.

So, those are some of our Costco buys that will help me with my meals. I have already spent a lot on groceries this month, but I am cooking a lot so far.

It was so cool at the start of the week. Look at that temp!

I will take it with a sweatshirt and enjoy it! I know that the hot, you feel like you are in an armpit, days of summer are coming.

Love seeing the green around me. I have been eating as many meals as possible outside, too. What a pleasure!

This is our first baby Archie. He lived until he was 12 and our kids were 9. Look how gray he became in the face. I thought this was funny because the kids were building Legos and gave him the directions to “read”. Archie was the best big brother and let the babies crawl all over him. He was also super cuddly and protective when I was pregnant.

Our boy Ernie is 10 and still doing well. We think he has a growth on his toe that makes him limp a bit on pavement. He seems much more agile on grass. Ernie has never been a cuddler, but he stays by your side. We can leave our gate and fence open and he won’t run away. He wants to always see his people. Another very good boy. Tom is partial to chocolate labs as I guess you can see. He is the dog whisperer in our family and I let him make that decision. His family had a chocolate lab, too.

I’ve been trying some of my flavored seltzer concoctions. Cherry limeade with lemon lime seltzer is really good.

We have been eating the Costco spinach salad and I topped it with salmon for lunch one day. I believe in making myself a real lunch, but I have learned I need to start making it before I get too hungry or I will turn to snacks.

Summer is the time for white wine, but I enjoyed a Spanish Syrah on the patio before dinner one evening. I am trying to use up the wine I already have before buying new stuff. My friend brunette Heather says to look for the wines at Costco rated 90 or above. They are really good prices, too. I need to do more of that.

Tom had a birthday on Tuesday and got a few sprinkles in his yogurt and a banana with a birthday message.

Ernie and I have been taking some leisurely walks this week.

Photo shoot:

Tom’s birthday set up:

We got him a new plant for the bathrooom because he mentioned it, fly fans from Amazon because he thought those were cool at a restaurant, and some of his favorite treats.

Our family has definitely gone to smaller gifts and it’s made us happier, I think. We let Tom pick his restaurant of choice or a home cooked dinner. He chose Kingfish.

It was really windy so we didn’t sit outside with a view of the river, but we had a nice view from our table.

Complimentary hush puppies:

I had a very sad piece of cold baked cod:

It was not supposed to be cold.

Tom just got fish and chips:

Mason got popcorn shrimp:

And, Jack got a chicken po’ boy:

Ha! Jack loves fish so much (the live version) that he cannot really eat them. We once were on vacation and ate at a seafood restaurant and they sat us next to an aquarium. Mason said, “this is just wrong – sitting next to them and eating their brethren”.

I have been doing my Kur Londontown illuminating nail concealer:

Sorry, for the blurry photo. Yes, it is very pricey, but it looks so good and lasts a long time. I will use the entire bottle. I think I would rather have one nice polish than 5 cheap ones. I just don’t like cheap polish and always regret buying it. Plus, it ain’t that cheap anymore.

A new place opened up and I went on opening day! It’s called Haymarket and it is like a permanent farm to table, farmer’s market store. They have fresh bread, baked goods, jams, specialty sauces, fresh produce, prepared foods, and a counter where you can order food along with a coffee bar.

It’s super cute and it’s on River Road right by where we keep our boat. Bougie boat food?

I mistakenly got this from Walmart (my fault – not theirs) and it is delicious. It has aspartame, though. I was going to add the cherry limeade powder to a cherry limeade seltzer, but this needs nothing. It’s really delicious!

I bought myself a new watch because my old one broke and I really still love an old fashioned watch. My old one was also Anne Klein and I really liked it.

And, I bought myself a couple of pairs of retro sunglasses that I have been seeing on some people.

They are decent quality and I have been wearing them mostly at home to read outside.

So many random favorites this week, no? What have been yours? I hope you had many!

Amy

P.S. – Happy Father’s Day Sunday and I am thinking about anyone else who is sad and struggles with this holiday. I think not going in stores has helped me. I really don’t like seeing the Father’s Day card displays. I know some of you are in the same boat.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Isn’t summer clothing the best? When I leave the house these days, I feel like I am either throwing on a dress or cut off shorts. I am happy to link up with the lovely Kellyann and Jill today.

Let’s go way back to Friday, June 2. I wore this to go shopping in a fun little neighborhood before eating Mexican food to celebrate the end of my school year with my college besties Heather and Heather. Their hubs and Tom met us at the restaurant after we shopped.

I chose to wear my new Target flat sandals for walking with my new Old Navy dress. It also comes in black and blue and there are also the blouse version in all three colors – yes, I bought all the tops and stopped myself from buying all the dresses! My cognac cross body is starting to show some wear. I may replace it with a gold version from a local boutique. I can still use all my straps. I love this colorful strap so much. I can also fit so much in this bag. I hope they are still in style because this size fits my needs the best.

Is there anything better than shopping with a drink in hand? Just don’t drink too much or you will come home with questionable purchases! We stopped and got a pomegranate bourbon slushie at Seven Spirits and the boutiques don’t mind if you bring a drink along. This is a great little liquor store/bar and has gourmet food items for gifts, too.

About a week later (I’m not going to show you my hospital outfits!), I went to the same neighborhood with just my brunette Heather to hear some music and get a bite to eat. I wore my white Target Universal Thread dress from last year with the same sandals and same bag!

Again, let me sing the praises of these dresses. I have black, mauve, and white. You can dress them up with a higher heeled sandal. I think this style of dress is still really in style and now you are seeing more collared versions and button down versions. I would love to get a collared version! I love the slightly gauzy texture and they wash really well. A great purchase if I do say so myself! I wash them on cold and line dry. I use my steamer after it is dry. I love to steam! I’m so weird!

I “try out” several outfits when I run errands in the summer. I don’t love this one. I love the top but I really think I am going to cut off the very, very long tassels. They serve no purpose. I think I would like this better with a bit of a heeled sandal. The Birkenstock just doesn’t look great here. I was also trying out my belts I bought last year.

I loved this outfit below! I have an old Old Navy jean skirt that I cut off last summer to make it look more modern. I wore this to the Greek Festival and I thought my new Old Navy blouse (just like the dress) looked kinda Greek! Again, with the sandals…ok – another pat on my back and I am glad I got these. I also saw a stylish lady wearing them the other day! About the three blouses I got…I think you can always get a better deal shopping online Old Navy. I think this runs about one size big. I ordered two different sizes and kept the one that fit the best. Now, this did mean I had to put in a big order and return what didn’t work in person. I got each one for only $11.97, you guys! The top is super soft and boutique quality and I don’t use that term lightly. I can see this going well into the fall and I was just gaga over the print.

It was very hot Saturday morning for the Buy Local Fair. I knew we might need to park far away so I wore my white New Balances (brand new at a consignment store a couple of years ago – $30! ) I think these shoes are magic because they never get dirty and they are seriously the most comfortable sneakers. I wore my black version of the white dress above – Target Universal Thread. I used my Amazon brown faux leather body bag as I did at the Greek Festival. My sweet college kids agreed to go with me but it turned out that it wasn’t that great of a fair. Jack got to play a dulcimer, though, at one of the pop up shops.

Saturday night I put on my bathing suit just in case and threw the white dress over it and used one of my Amazon silk scarf looking headbands to accessorize. I wore my white rubber Birkenstocks, too, because this was for the boat ride and pizza on the boat with our friends. My white dress is a size larger than my black and mauve because I think white often calls for sizing up. It’s not you; it’s the color white. I also size up in white jeans.

And, finally, Tuesday night for Tom’s birthday dinner at Kingfish on the river, I wore the black dress again with my Marc Fisher gold lace up sandals.

I guess I need to give the mauve dress her turn, right? She feels very left out.

Do you have a favorite outfit?

What have you been wearing?

By the way, I am using my June Sun Tan City package and I will decide about July when the time comes. I go about once a week and I do Versa Malibu medium with double legs. Versa is a brand of spray machine and Malibu is the spray formula. Medium is in between light and dark, obviously, and I think that is as dark as I would go. I have them do an extra pass on my legs and that is what double legs means. This whole process takes literally 5 minutes in the spray booth. I bundle this errand with the library, Trader Joe’s, or something nearby. You do have to wait at least 8 hours before getting wet so it should be on a non-pool day and I like to shower immediately before going since it will be 8 hours before I can do so again. It fades super naturally and even if you do go to the pool it won’t look weird while you are there or anything. Here is my post on how to get a spray tan if you are interested. Warning: It’s addicting.

Wow, this was quite a long Fashion Files post.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Amy

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

We aren’t going to just sit here and chat over coffee today. We are literally going to talk about coffee. Let’s get some dialogue going in the comments, ok?

I love coffee. I guess you know that because of my blog’s name. I didn’t start drinking it regularly until my first teaching job and that was coffee from the teachers’ lounge. It was survival coffee! When I left that job four years later, I remember someone saying they would miss the way I made the coffee. I guess I became the one that refilled the coffeemaker even though I really don’t remember doing that!

I dabbled with coffee in Spain with my roommate Krista. We would get our coffee cut in half with milk because it was so strong in the coffee shops. We would often have a piece of chocolate with it. I can’t remember whose idea that was but it was a great one!

Now, I like to start my day with two cups of coffee. I usually don’t finish the dredges of it, so it is probably more like 1.5 cups. I like fat free half and half and lately I have been using a few drops of Trader Joe’s liquid stevia, as well. I don’t like it super sweet, but I like it with a hint of sweetness. I have also used Jordan’s Skinny Syrups. I froth up the half and half a bit and the stevia or skinny syrup and then add the coffee.

Here is what it looks like:

This little Amazon handheld frother has been a game changer.

I currently have my old original (first version!) Keurig sitting on my counter. We have cleaned it several times and I think that is why it’s still running. This is not pretty, but it’s sentimental to me because my Dad picked it out for me for Christmas many years ago. He had gotten one and loved it and thought I would love it, too. He seriously came up with the best gift ideas for me. He picked out this, my Kindle, my breadmaker, and a few other things that I really, really loved. It meant so much to me because it makes you feel seen and known. My Dad loved his coffee, too, and that was something we enjoyed together.

I also have an old basic Mr. Coffee sitting on my counter. So, it’s really too much. I was trying to quit the K cup because of the waste and because I really liked the coffee that Erica brought to the Bachelorette weekend. She brought Ethiopian beans from Trader Joe’s.

I have this little grinder and I decided I really don’t want to grind on the daily. It’s messy and just too much. So, do I get a machine that grinds for you before brewing your coffee?

I have a couple of bags of Dunkin’ Donut brand already ground coffee that I like and I have just been going back and forth between a K cup and a whole pot depending on my mood. Do I get a machine that does both K cups and normal coffee? Does that exist?

Honestly, I think I like the taste of the K cup coffee better and I like a freshly brewed cup. I have been loving Kauai brand.

I have also used this for the Mr. Coffee. It’s pretty good, too.

Erica likes the Cusinart Grind and Brew. She pours in the beans and it grinds them and she also sets a timer and has the coffee set to brew for the time she gets up each morning.

I am at a loss for what to do for my coffee needs. When I renovate my kitchen, I will definitely want something more aesthetically pleasing.

I am open to your suggestions. Mason is the only other one that drinks coffee in my house and he only has one cup a day.

I sometimes have an afternoon coffee and that is really nice. I also make an iced coffee in the late morning or afternoon with my protein shake.

Let’s talk about this issue in the comments!

Thank you in advance!

Amy

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

It’s Tom’s birthday! He finally told us what he wanted to do – go to a restaurant on the river after he gets off work, so I am excited to get all four of us out because that rarely happens these days.

So, let me explain my blog post title… Walmart has no idea who I am. I do not make any money from this post and truth be told, I lose money blogging each month. Just keeping it real. This is a hobby for me and all hobbies cost a few pennies, right?

I decided to try Walmart + for the month of June. They offer a 30 day free trial and I had nothing to lose unless I forgot to cancel before July 1. I wrote the date on my calendar and away I went.

A little history – I have said many times on this blog that I don’t like Walmart. I would down right get angry every time I tried to shop there. It’s not convenient and the one closest to my house is definitely not one of the newer and bougie-er Walmarts. So, I was never gonna do pick up there. My sister does pick up at her local Walmart and feels that she saves a lot of money versus shopping at Kroger.

First, I got the handy dandy app on my phone. It is very user friendly and I find it just as easy to use as Kroger’s.

If I choose to keep doing it, I can choose to pay $98 for the year or $12.95 per month. Now, think about it. How much do I spend by going in the store on things that weren’t on my list? I would say it’s more than that – by far!

I also choose to tip the delivery person about 10% of my order. But, again, how much do I save by not having those new products to tempt me or by something that looks or sounds good. I think I am still saving money by not going in. The Walmart app also tells me that I saved $27 and 3 hours since I started. I am not sure how this is calculated!

I have now ordered 3 times and I have another order ready to place. I can have my groceries on my doorstep in 4 hours from the time of placing the order or I can pay an extra $10 for 2 hours or less with Express. That may come in handy sometime.

So, far I am having way less substitutions than at Kroger. Kroger almost always tells me they are out of stock on something or they have a substitution for me to approve. Also, I can get some products that I can’t get at Kroger. We can’t find Gatorade Zero for Tom, Ale 8 One is not available for pick up at Kroger, Merkt’s Port Wine Cheese is not available at Kroger, Velveeta cheese slices are not available at Kroger either. These are all Tom-specific items. Man, do I cater to him!

I prefer the bags that Walmart brings the groceries in. Kroger’s pick up bags are horrible. They are plastic and thick and we just want the regular ones for Ernie’s waste.

I am also able to order most of our toiletries; they have Dr. Teal’s body wash and pretty much all of the brands we like to use. I think they are less expensive than Target.

I thought we were brand loyal to many of Kroger’s products, but it turns out that isn’t the case at all.

I think it’s pretty cool to have Trulys arrive on your doorstep! I have done that once!

You can also throw in things to your order like beach towels, kitchen items, etc. You can add anything that is sold in the store.

I really think they are competing with Amazon because you also get shipping if the item is not in stock in the store.

I don’t mind going in to the store, but I would prefer it to just be for a few things. I still plan to go in to Kroger, Trader Joe’s, and Fresh Market on occasion.

At the end of the month, I will be able to compare May at Kroger to June at Walmart. I will also let you know what I decide to do after this month.

So, if you haven’t already gathered this…I am a fan! I really like it!

Thank you to those of you who gave me your opinion on it because it helped me to take the leap.

Let me know if you are also trying it! What did I forget?

Amy

Monday, June 12, 2023

I will be honest – that date is scaring me! It is almost mid-June! I am linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday today.

Mason and I are the only coffee drinkers in the house and we are loving this:

I woke up Friday and enjoyed two cups of it and then went off to Trader Joe’s for the first time in a long time.

I love this candle and really need to go get more. I love the hot pink and the smell does not smell like salted caramel pistachio in my opinion, but it is a pleasing smell to my nose.

I also picked up this cute little guy!

I grabbed this little yellow flower to fill up my head planter.

I did an Old Navy return and then headed home and piddled around at home all day. I decided to do a 3 p.m. coffee while reading on the patio.

I finished The Party Crasher. It was not my favorite of Sophie Kinsella’s but it was cute. It was a bit far fetched, but I did like it.

At 6:00, I met my friend Victoria at the Greek Festival and spent a couple of hours with her.

Saturday morning was cool, but I started my day on the patio.

I cooked up some mushrooms and onions and some zucchini.

My kids went with me to a Buy Local Fair on the river where local businesses or home based businesses could set up a tent with their wares.

I came home with this cocktail mixer and I love it. It will be available at Paul’s Fruit Market in a week.

Later that afternoon, our friends met us and brought pizza for the boat.

It was a gorgeous night and we needed that.

Sunday morning I used my vegetables to make a vegetable egg scramble.

Tom and I did the Costco run together and we were happy to see their spinach salad back.

I like my lettuce chopped really small so I was taking out the spinach and tomatoes to chop. It comes with a really good poppyseed dressing. All of us had this for lunch!

Then, we went to our friends’ daughter’s graduation party.

The graduate’s dad and I have been friends since 2nd grade.

My mom had a special visitor. My sister Kate just got a new puppy named Ezra a few weeks ago.

After I brought my mom home from the hospital, Molly stayed for a couple of days and then Kate stayed for a couple of days. She seems to be back to normal but has a follow up with her primary care physician today. The doctor told us she needed about 48 hours of overnight supervision. She is actually going on a little trip tomorrow for a couple of days. It’s pretty amazing! I will see her after her little trip.

What did you do this weekend? We had wonderful early summer weather until we had some storms yesterday.

Thanks for reading!

Amy